Don't axe Dundee’s own council in costly local government shake-up

Scottish Ministers challenged to explain why Dundee should lose its own council – and how spending potentially hundreds of millions on reorganisation would improve frontline services.

Dundee Liberal Democrats have launched strong criticism of Scottish Government proposals that could see Dundee City Council abolished and replaced by a much larger regional authority.
The party has warned that the plans risk creating a costly bureaucratic upheaval, weakening local democracy and diverting desperately needed resources away from schools, housing, social care and other essential services. 

A report by Dundee City Council's Chief Executive, going before the City Governance Committee on Monday 26th October, outlines the Scottish Government's initial proposals to replace Scotland's 32 councils with just 6 to 10 regional authorities and around 120 to 160 community authorities.  The report highlights major unanswered questions about costs, staffing, council responsibilities, democratic accountability and the future delivery of local services.

Dundee Liberal Democrat councillors are bringing forward a formal amendment demanding that the council takes a stronger stance and writes to Scottish Ministers expressing concern about the proposals.

Councillor Michael Crichton, who will move the amendment, said:
“These proposals represent a potentially enormous and expensive upheaval in Scottish local government, yet the Scottish Government has failed to demonstrate how they would improve services or deliver better value for taxpayers.”
"Where is the convincing evidence? Where is the detailed financial business case? And where is the proof that local communities would actually benefit?”
"Every pound spent reorganising councils is a pound that cannot be spent on our schools, housing, social care and other vital services.”
"We are not opposed to sensible reform, but reform must be about improving services, not simply redrawing boundaries and creating new bureaucracies. The case for such sweeping changes has simply not been made."
Councillor Daniel Coleman, who will second the amendment, warned that Dundee could lose its own democratic voice.   He said :
"Dundee is a city with its own identity, priorities and challenges. Why should major decisions affecting our city potentially be taken by a much larger regional authority, further removed from the people those decisions affect?”
"We are promised new community authorities, but what real powers and budgets would they have if the major decisions remain at regional level?”
"There is a real danger of creating more confusion about who is responsible for what, while weakening the direct accountability residents rightly expect from their local council."

Councillor Craig Duncan highlighted the potentially enormous costs and bureaucracy involved. He said:
"Scotland has been through expensive local government reorganisation before. Research estimated the gross transitional costs of the 1996 changes at £400 million in 1996 prices – equivalent to more than £800 million today.     Now Ministers are contemplating another massive shake-up without a properly developed financial business case.”
"Will we end up with more chief officers, more committees, more administration and more politicians sitting on multiple authorities? Meanwhile, council employees could face years of uncertainty over their jobs, pensions and working arrangements.”
"At a time when frontline services are under such pressure, this is surely the wrong priority. Cooperation between councils makes sense. Abolishing them to achieve it does not."

Councillor Fraser Macpherson, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Dundee City Council, added:
"The fundamental question is what the people of Dundee would actually gain from abolishing Dundee City Council. I have yet to hear a convincing answer.”
"We already work successfully with neighbouring councils through Tayside Contracts, shared services and regional economic partnerships.”
"If there are opportunities for greater cooperation on transport or other services, let's pursue them. We do not need to abolish Dundee City Council to get councils working together.”
"How many people voting in May's Scottish Parliament election imagined they were voting for the potential abolition of their local council? Dundee's future should not be decided by a bureaucratic exercise in Edinburgh.”